Kansas Counties

Kearny County, Kansas

Date Established:

March 20, 1873

Date Organized:

March 27, 1888

Location:

County Seat:

Lakin

Origin of Name:

Named for Gen. Phillip Kearny (1815-1862), a career soldier who served with distinction in the Mexican War. He received the French Legion of Honor for his actions at Solferino while serving in Napoleon III's Imperial Guard, but returned to the United States at the beginning of the Civil War and won acclaim during the Peninsula Campaign. He was killed instantly when he accidentally rode into the enemy lines during the Battle of Chantilly, 1 Sept 1862.